Apparatus and method for bagging fragile leafy vegetables

Abstract

An apparatus for mechanically bagging relatively fragile, leafy vegetables including a bag distending assembly, a sleeve-like inserter, a barrier movably mounted inside the inserter, and a drive assembly coupled to displace the inserter into the bag. The drive assembly includes two pneumatic cylinders so that the barrier can be controlled independently of the inserter and maintained in position inside the bag while the inserter is withdrawn. The inserter carries the leaves inside the bag without substantially compresssing or crushing and bruising the leaves, and the barrier permits inserter withdrawal without leaf damage. A process for inserting fragile leafy vegetables into a bag also is disclosed.

What is claimed is 
     
       1. An apparatus for bagging a quantity of relatively fragile leafy vegetables comprising: bag distending means holding an open ended bag in a distended condition for receipt of said vegetables through the open end thereof;   sleeve-like inserter means mounted proximate said distending means and dimensioned to receive said quantity of said vegetables in a loose substantially uncompacted condition therein and dimensioned for insertion into said open end of said bag while said bag is in said distended condition and said vegetables are in said uncompacted condition;   insertion drive means coupled to and driving at least one of said distending means and said inserter means and producing relative displacement of said inserter means and said distending means between an inserted position, in which said inserter means is inserted inside said bag to a depth positioning substantially all of said quantity of said vegetables inside said bag, and a removed position, in which said inserter means is positioned outside of said bag;   barrier means movably mounted inside said inserter means, said inserter means extending substantially around three sides of said barrier means, and said barrier means extending transversely across said inserter means to cooperate with an interior surface of said inserter means to carry said vegetables into said bag in said uncompacted condition;   barrier drive means coupled to said barrier means for displacement thereof; and   control means coupled to said insertion drive means and said barrier drive means and substantially maintaining the relative position of said barrier means and said inserter means during insertion of said inserter means into said bag, and substantially maintaining the relative position of said barrier means and said bag during removal of said inserter means from said bag to prevent withdrawal of said vegetables from said bag during removal of said inserter means.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, said bag distending means is provided by snout-like assembly dimensioned for insertion into an open end of said bag, and movable between a bag distending position and a bag releasing position.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein, said snout-like assembly includes a pair of laterally displacable shell-like members mounted for movement between a contracted condition for insertion into said open end of said bag and an expanded condition distending said bag therebetween.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein, said inserter means is sized for insertion into said bag by passage thereof inside said shell members when said shell members are in said expanded condition.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein, said insertion drive means is coupled to displace said inserter means while said distending means is substantially stationary.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein, said barrier drive means drives said barrier means for movement with said inserter means in substantially fixed relation thereto during displacement of said inserter means into said bag.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein, said barrier drive means maintains said barrier means in a substantially fixed position during displacement of said inserter means as said inserter means is removed from said bag.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, and vegetables weighing means positioned proximate said inserter means; and   vegetable transfer means positioned to receive said vegetables in a loose, substantially uncompacted condition from said weighing means and formed to transfer said vegetables to said inserter means.   
     
     
       9. In an apparatus for bagging a quantity of leafy vegetables including holding means holding an open ended bag in an open condition for receipt of said vegetables, shell-like inserter means mounted proximate said holding means and dimensioned to receive said quantity of said vegetables in a loose substantially uncompacted condition and dimensioned for insertion into said bag, insertion drive means coupled to and driving one of said holding means and said inserter means and producing relative displacement therebetween for insertion and removal of said inserter means into and out of said bag, wherein the improvement in said apparatus comprises: barrier means movably mounted inside said inserter means, said barrier means extending transversely across said inserter means to cooperate with an interior surface of said inserter means to carry said vegetables into said bag in said uncompacted condition;   barrier drive means coupled to said barrier means for displacement thereof; and   control means coupled to said insertion drive means and said barrier drive means and substantially maintaining the relative position of said inserter means and said barrier means during insertion thereof into said bag, and substantially maintaining the relative position of said barrier means and said bag during removal of said inserter means from said bag to prevent withdrawal of said vegetables from said body during removal of said inserter means.